Glossary of Scouting Terms

Troop - The Scouts (registered youths) and Scouters (registered adults) who are chartered by an organization and coordinate a scouting program. This is the Boy Scout equivalent of a Cub Scout pack. All the adults in a Troop are volunteers.

District - The local oversight organization for particular troops. Troop 35 is in the River Bend District, in the North Florida Council. The District is staffed by volunteers, with support from some full-time BSA employees from the local Council.

Council - The larger oversight organization for a group of Districts. Our Troop is in the North Florida Council. This is comprised of Districts in Northeast Florida. The Council has some full-time Scouting professionals, however many of the positions are filled by volunteers.

Patrol - Scouts are grouped together in patrols. (This is the Boy Scout equivalent of a Cub Scout den.) Each Patrol has a Patrol Leader and an Assistant Patrol Leader or Troop Guide. Patrols will sometimes be designated as "High Adventure" patrols and "New Scout" patrols. A High Adventure patrol has an alternative camping program reserved for older Scouts. A "New Scout" patrol is established for the first six months upon entering the Troop.

Patrol Leader - The elected leader of a patrol. He holds office for six months.

Assistant Patrol Leader - The assistant leader of a particular patrol selected by the Patrol Leader with the approval of the Scoutmaster.

Troop Guide - A Scout especially selected by the Scoutmaster to guide, coach and encourage a "New Scout" patrol for their first six months.

Senior Patrol Leader or SPL - The elected Boy Scout leader of the entire Troop. He holds office for six months and is elected by the Troop at large.

Assistant Senior Patrol Leader or ASPL - The elected Boy Scout assistant leader of the entire Troop. He runs for office on a "ticket" with the SPL and they are elected together by the Troop at large.

Scoutmaster - The adult leader/Scouter responsible for the Troop's program. A volunteer position, held with the approval of the Troop Committee for an unspecified term.

Assistant Scoutmasters - The adult assistant leaders/Scouters for the Troop program. This is a volunteer position held for as long as one chooses. Assistant Scoutmasters facilitate the Boy Scout Program, working with the SPL and ASPL and directly with the boys.

Junior Assistant Scoutmaster or JASM- A Boy Scout who has achieved the rank of Eagle and has been selected by the Scoutmaster to assist the adults and SPL in leading the Troop.

Patrol Advisors - Registered adult leaders who have been designated by the Scoutmaster to coach the Scout patrols. All patrols have patrol advisors.

Scouter (slang) - Any registered adult leader. Registration consists of filling out an adult volunteer form and a background check authorization form. These are turned in to the membership chairman. Registration is subject to the approval of the Committee Chairman and the Chartered Organization Representative.

Troop Committee - Registered leaders who choose to serve on the Troop's governing committee. They are allowed to vote on policy, conduct Boards of Review, decide monetary allocations issues and authorize equipment purchases. Their job is to facilitate the Scoutmaster, Assistant Scoutmasters and the boys in running their program. The Troop Committee conducts much of its business by email, and meets face-to-face approximately once a month.

Committee Chairman - The volunteer leader who heads up the Troop.

Chartered Organization Representative - A liaison between the Troop and Christ United Methodist Church. This individual is member of the Troop Committee and also a member of the Church.

Scoutmaster Conference - A conference between a Scout who is ready to advance rank and the Scoutmaster. This occurs upon completion of all other requirements and prior to a Board of Review.

Board of Review or BOR - An interview with a Scout after completion of a Scoutmaster conference. Conducted by 3-6 members of the Troop Committee. This is not a test, but a last check to ensure that all requirements have been met, and an opportunity for the Committee and Scout to visit about the Troop's programs and the Scout's perception of his personal scouting experience.

Court of Honor - A program, held about four times a year, in which Scouts are publicly recognized for their advancements and merit badges. This is the Boy Scout equivalent of a Cub Scout pack meeting without cheers and skits. It is more serious and dignified in tone. All Scouts are expected to attend, not just those advancing.

Patrol Corners - The meeting by each Patrol during the Monday evening before a camping trip. This occurs during the regularly scheduled Monday night meeting.

Patrol Leader Council or PLC - A meeting of the Patrol Leaders and other Boy Scouts in leadership positions, typically held once a month on the Monday evening following a camping trip.

Chuck Box - A piece of camping gear which holds an entire patrol's kitchen camping equipment and is used as a cooking surface for stoves and preparing food.

Dining Flys - A piece of camping gear resembling a tarp, erected on poles to cover a patrol's cooking area on a camping trip.

Rank - The different levels of achievement for a Scout (i.e., Scout, Tenderfoot, Second Class, First Class, Star, Life and Eagle). See the Scout Handbook for more information.

Rank Advancement - The advancement from one Scout rank to another level of achievement. There are no time limits regarding when a scout must complete these (other than that they must be completed before age 18), and advancement is not automatic when a scout moves to the next grade.

Trail to First Class or TFC - The program of rank advancement for a new Scout to the rank of First Class (the rank is Scout, Tenderfoot, Second Class and then First Class).

Merit Badge - The Boy Scout equivalent of a Webelos activity pin-there are over a 100 possible merit badges that Scouts can earn. Merit badges are completed on an individual basis, but often in a classroom setting. The badges cover numerous disciplines and areas of interest.

Council Camps - These are campgrounds that are owned and run by the North Florida Council.

Camporee - This is a gathering of many Troops in a particular District as a weekend camping experience and is thematic in nature.

Order of the Arrow or OA - This is a service-oriented honorary organization into which Scouts and Scouters can be elected by their fellow Scouts and Scouters.

Ordeal - A weekend camping experience for new members of the Order of the Arrow to seal their membership in the OA. It is a weekend marked by silence and introspection, hard work and dedication to service.